“I don’t see any Amazon drones being launched here [in Australia], and I’m sure CASA [Civil Aviation Safety Authority] would have something to say about that. They’re coming up with rules for drones and some of that stuff. So I don’t see that happening here any time soon.”

“The Echo Show is an incredible glimpse into the future, because the future is going to be words come out of your mouth, and that’s how you engage the computer rather than typing on a QWERTY keyboard or moving a mouse.”

“One of the magical things about publishing is that when you get together with other people who work in this industry we immediately share a common bond, this passion for bringing books to readers. It is really wonderful to stand in a room full of people who are putting everything on the line toward that effort every day and who are excited to hear about the work that we’re doing to bring more diversity to literature through translation.” (Photo by Dean Whitmore)

“It was the first time we were building a device, so we had a lot to learn. After that the team and as a company we got better each time. So our second Kindle was developed more quickly, and now as you know that team is launching Kindles and Fire TVs and Fire tablets and Echos and more every year.” (Photo by Jordan Stead/Amazon)

“I’m not sure about the future of Amazon [Publishing] in the literary world at large. I do think that for my book it’s been really interesting working with them and being able to answer those questions [about audience] and also to challenge myself more about how do I see this book existing in the world and what kind of spaces do I want it to enter and what kind of people do I want it to encounter. I think that working with Amazon has been interesting in that way, because they do have a very broad reach, and a very established way of doing things that for me has given a lot of structure to thinking about the book being out in the world.”

“Jeff Bezos has been a great owner for The Post. He invested in our business. He has generally stayed away and let the editors and our publisher, Fred Ryan, run the business. He intervenes only occasionally. The first meeting he had when he came to The Post, he said, ‘I don’t know what’s going to work, but I want to lengthen the runway, so you have more time to experiment and take off.’ And we have begun to take off. We’re not rolling in money, but The Post is profitable again. I wondered if I’d ever see that. Our web traffic keeps exploding.”

The 9th Generation Kindle Oasis begins arriving today for those of you who pre-ordered one. Amazon provided me with a review unit, so I’ve had a few days to try it out. My video review is now available.

This is an impressive new Kindle, and I particularly love the leather cover available for it. The feel of the cover is soft, and–unlike the battery-loaded cover of the previous Oasis–you can use this one as a stand in either landscape or portrait orientation. Sometimes I like to set my Kindle on a table at a coffee shop for reading, but that wasn’t possible with the original Oasis.

As for the larger screen, sometimes I like it and sometimes I don’t. Bedtime reading seems better with the original Oasis, which is smaller and lighter. The seven-inch Oasis screen seems to be shouting at me, sending me more words than I am used to as I read calmly before sleep. But reading in the living room, when I am perhaps more alert, I enjoy the larger screen real estate.

The off-center balance of the new Oasis is even more pronounced than that of the original, because there is more battery weight in the new one. It’s a good feel, like reading a paperback book in one hand.

I have connected the new Oasis via Bluetooth to my Echo Show speaker, and it works fine. In general, I think I won’t get much use of this feature of the 9th Generation Oasis. When I listen to Audible books, it’s easier to use the Audible app on my iPhone, which is always with me. But I know many of you will love this improvement in the Oasis. Pairing the Oasis is easy, and the sound quality is good, depending on what you are using for the audio.

The waterproof feature rocks. I had fun dunking the review copy in the chilly Atlantic a couple of days ago in Maine. Film at 11.

I will have a lot more to say about the new Oasis on Friday’s podcast. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them as comments to this post.

The boy reading under the tree now faces in the other direction in the new iOS and Android app icon that will show up on your phone or tablet when you up update the app. Lots else is new, too.

Amazon this morning is releasing an “all-new” Kindle app at the iOS App Store and Google Play. On Friday’s episode of The Kindle Chronicles podcast I will have lots to say about the app, based on a virtual demo I received yesterday from two Kindle execs in New York City via Amazon’s Chime videoconferencing platform.

My initial take on the new app is that it is bookish, elegant, smart, and quicker to navigate than its predecessor. The design is easy on the eyes, from the switched-around boy reading under a tree in the opening Kindle icon to bigger images of your book covers and a more page-like appearance to the screens of the app.

The new app continues Amazon’s steady integration of Goodreads, acquired four years ago when Goodreads had 16 million members. The membership now stands at more than 65 million, and I bet most of them read Kindle books on phones and tablets. The updated app makes it easier than ever to switch from within a book to discuss it with your friends and the broader community at Goodreads.

Here is the press release released today at 9 a.m. ET:

Amazon Announces All-New Kindle App—Easier Than Ever to Read and Connect with Friends

An app built for book lovers—with everything you need all in one place, seamlessly move between the pages of your book, your library, your personal bookstore, and more

Be part of a community of readers—with Goodreads built into Kindle for iOS
you can now discover and discuss books with friends, authors, and more

The new app displays larger images of book covers and, at the bottom of the screen, a thumbnail of the book you are currently reading.

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)—Oct. 24, 2017– (NASDAQ: AMZN) — Today, Amazon announced an all-new Kindle app that makes it easier than ever to turn your phone or tablet into a book—so you can read anytime, anywhere. The Kindle app is designed for book lovers and provides easy access to the most popular Kindle features—you can effortlessly move between the pages of your book, your library, your personalized bookstore and more. Also, with the Goodreads community built into Kindle for iOS, you can easily discover and discuss books with friends. The all-new Kindle app is available now in the App Store and Google Play, and will be delivered as part of a free, over-the-air update starting this week.

“We’ve built the new Kindle app from the ground up for book lovers, giving readers easy access to everything they might want to do with their books, all in one place,” said Chuck Moore, Vice President, Kindle. “It’s now easier than ever to turn your phone or tablet into a book and immerse yourself in an author’s world at any time.”

All-New Design

With the new Kindle app, it is easier to get to what you want. Whether it’s starting the next chapter in the book you’re reading or a quick search through your library, the all-new design makes switching back and forth seamless. Key updates include:

All-New Look—The Kindle app features a new look and feel inspired by books. Details include larger book covers, new fonts, a new app icon, and new light and dark background themes to choose from.

One-Tap Access—New bottom bar navigation automatically shows an icon of the book you’re currently reading, making it easier than ever to get back to reading at any moment. The bottom bar also provides quick access to Kindle’s most popular features allowing you to switch between the pages of your book, your library, your personal bookstore, and more.

Easy Search—The search bar is now always available throughout the app, so whether a book is in your library or among the millions of titles in the Kindle Store, it’s easier than ever to find it.

Discover and Discuss Books with Friends and the Goodreads Community on Kindle for iOS

The new Kindle for iOS app also helps customers discuss and get book recommendations from their friends, authors, and other readers with the Goodreads community now built right into the app. Goodreads, an Amazon subsidiary, is the world’s largest community of readers, with more than 65 million members.

“For as long as there have been books, people have discussed them with friends,” said Otis Chandler, CEO and co-founder of Goodreads. “When you finish an amazing book, you can’t wait to find out if other readers feel the same way. Readers trust their friends for recommendations, with around half of them saying they discover books through word-of-mouth. With the new features on Kindle, connecting with your friends and similar readers in the Goodreads community is now built into the app.”

Reading is better when you can discuss it with friends. In Kindle for iOS you can now:

Find New Books to Read—Browse the new Community tab to keep up-to-date with what friends and readers you follow are reading. When you find a book you are interested in, you can add it to your Want to Read list for quick reference when you are ready to start your next book.

Connect with Readers Who Like Similar Books—To help you get recommendations from readers who like the same books, Goodreads also suggests people to follow, including authors and popular Goodreads reviewers.

Share Your Thoughts About Books You’ve Read—Post notes and highlights from your book for friends to see and comment on. Easily share when you start reading a book, as well as your rating/review when you’ve finished a book.

Starting today, the Community tab featuring Goodreads discovery and discussion features are available on Kindle for iOS (in the US only), and will be coming to Kindle for Android in a future release. To learn more about how Kindle helps you read anytime, anywhere visit www.amazon.com/kindleapps.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

———-

NOTE from Len: Information from the demo was embargoed until today (Tuesday) at 9 am ET, just as Darlene and I are due to board the Acela with our Wyoming friends Tom and Tish, bound for NYC to see the 9/11 Memorial and Museum and attend the musical Come From Away. I’m not sure how quickly this post (drafted Monday night) will go live. It will depend on how reliable Amtrak’s WiFi service is on the train. Fingers crossed!

“Whatever kind of mindset they’re stuck in about whether it’s weight loss or about whether or not you should be out there running in your big body, because maybe you’re going to hurt your knees or your back: You don’t know. You don’t know me. I don’t know you. You do your run, I do my run. And then we’ll all be happy.”